A copartnership



A No. 749,524. PATENTED JAN.12, 1904. l e.. A. BOWEN.

FOOT REST FOR CHAIRS.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1902. l0 MODEL.

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I a., @AM BY W UNITED STATES Patented J' anuary 12, 1904.

PATENT VOEEICE.

GEORGE lA. BOWEN, OF MEDINA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO S. A. COOK 8a COMPANY, OF MEDINA, NEW YORK, A OOPARTNERSHIP.

FOOT-REST FOR CHAIRS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 749,524, dated January 12, 1904.

VApplication filed May 24, 1902. Serial No. 108,820. (No model.)

` To (L7/Z whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, GEORGE A. BOWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Me- M dina, in thefcounty of Orleans and State of New York, have invented new and useful Imi provements in Foot-Rests for Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a foot-rest arranged to be 1 combined with a reclining or easy chair, and 1 IO has for its object to so construct the foot-rest and its connections with the chair that it may be moved into a position under the seat of the chair and there supported or be moved out in front of the chair into a position for use; and the invention consists in improvements in the construction ofthe foot-rest and in the means for connecting it with the chair to be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an adjustp able-back chair provided with a foot-rest embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is asectional elevation illustrating the position `of the parts of the foot-rest when out of use.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my 'invention as being applied to a Morris chair or chair with a swinging adjustable back, though it is apparent that the invention is equally applicable to chairs of Vother `constructions and to other articles of furniture-as, for instance, to a couch; l In the drawings forming part of this case, i `A represents the seat-frame of a chair, which f may be of usual or improved construction. `Within the space inclosed by this frame and `extending from the rear to the front rails lignated 2 and 3, respectively) is a slideway for Vthe frame of the foot-rest, which consists by preferenceof a pair of rods, wood or metal, 44. These rods are preferably ini clined downward from the rear toward the `front and are engaged by brackets or hangers 5, carried by the rear cross bar or rail 6 of the supporting-frame 7 of the foot-rest. The brackets or hangers 5 may be of any suitable tconstruction; but I prefer that they should be provided at their upper ends with apertures or loops, through which pass the rods 4, so that the brackets may slide easily backward and forward along the rods.

The foot-rest frame 7 consists of the rear cross-bar 6, the front cross-bar 8, the two side bars 9, and the front legs or supports 10. To the front part of this frame and preferably tothe inner faces of the side bars, near their 5 5 front ends, are pivotally connected the risers or supports for the foot-rest proper, which are designated 11. These are arranged so as tofold down between and substantially parallel with the side bars 9 or to occupy a forward inclined position, (represented in Figs. 1 and 2,) in which case they rest against beveled supporting-pieces 12, preferably of metal, secured to the foot-rest frame in the angles between the side bars and the front cross-bar 8. The bearing-faces of these supporting-pieces are arranged at such an angle as to support risers 11 at exactly the angle desired.

14 is the main board or piece of the footrest proper, and it is hinged or pivotally coni nected with the risers 11 in such a manner as to fold either against the edges of the risers, which are uppermost when they are folded down between the side bars of the frame 7, as represented in Fig. 8, or to fold against the ends 13 of the risers, which is the position occupied when the foot-rest is in use and is indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The ends 13 of the risers are finished at such an angle as to support the foot-rest board or part 14 at the desired angle when the parts are extended for use. 15 represents a rear board or part of the foot-rest. It is hinged to the rear edge of the part 14 and is arranged to rest against and be supported by a bracket 16, secured to the 55 inner face of the board 14 when the parts are in use. When the foot-rest is folded down upon the frame 7, the rear board or part 15 is The frame 7 and the foot-rest proper are of 95 4 a size which permits them to be arranged Within the space inclosed by the seat-frame A of the chair. By making the ways upon which the rear end of the foot-rest frame is supported inclined it is evident that the rear IOO end of the foot-rest will be elevated as the frame is moved back under the chair-seat,

thus carrying it out of sight Within the spacek inclosed by the seat-frame.V A catch 17 is carried by the front rail 3 of the seat-frame and is arranged to engage with the front crossbar of the foot-rest frame and to support the front end of the foot-rest in an elevated position within the seat-frame. This catch is so constructed as to be easily manipulated from the front of the chair, so that it may be disengaged from the foot-rest frame, allowing the latter to fall to the floor.

In Figs. 1 and Q the position occupied by the parts of the foot-rest when in use is represented. When itis desired to fold the footrest and conceal it from View, the risers 11 are swung backward and downward into a position between the side bars of the frame and parallel therewith, and at the same time the parts 14 and 15 of the footrest are turned upon their hinges and caused to rest directly upon the upper edges of the frame 7, as indicated in Fig. 3. The frame may now be easily pushed backward beneath the seatframe, and as it thus moves its rear end will be elevated, owing to the `inclined arrangement of the rods 4, until the rear portion of the frame is carried entirely out of sight within the space inclosed by the seat-frame A. When the seat-frame has reached the limit of its rearward movement, the front portion of the foot-rest frame is elevated to engage with the catch, which supports the front portion of the foot-rest frame in a position suiiiciently elevated to hide it from view within the seat-frame.

While I have described and represented my invention as being applied to a chair, it is evident that it may be applied to certain other articles of furniture which are the equivalent of a chair so far as being combined with a footrest like that herein disclosed is concerned.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination with a chair having a seat-frame A arranged to inclose a space below the seat, of ways arranged within the seatframe, traveling supports arranged to move along the said ways, a foot-rest connected at its rear end with the said supports and arranged to have its front end rest upon the floor, and a catch for holding the front portion of the foot-rest elevated and within the space inclosed by the seat-frame after the footrest has been moved thereunder, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the seat-frame of a chair, of a pair of rods, 4, 4, between the front and rear rails of the seat-frame inclining upward toward the rear, a foot-rest frame arranged to have its front end rest upon the floor, hangers or supports for the foot-rest frame engaging with the said rods, along which they are adapted to move, and a catch arranged to engage with Ythe foot-rest frame in front of the hangers or supports when the said frame is moved within the seat-frame and to hold the free end thereof in an elevated position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the seat-frame of a chair, of the ways inclining upward from the lfront to the rear, a foot-rest frame arranged tovhave its front end rest upon the floor, hangers engaging with the said ways and connected with the rear portion of the foot-rest frame, a swinging foot-rest arranged to be folded down upon the frame or to be raised into a position of use, the foot-rest and its frame being of a size which will permit it to be placed within the space inclosed by the seat-frame, and a catch arranged to hold the front portion of the foot-rest frame in an elevated position when the foot-rest and its frame are moved under the seat-frame, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of an open, substantially rectangular foot-rest frame, risers 11 pivoted thereto and arranged to fold into the open space of the foot-rest frame or to occupy a raised position, and a foot-rest proper comprising a part 14 hinged to the risers, and a part 15 hinged to the part 14, the parts 14 and 15 being arranged to fold down upon the frame substantially parallel therewith or to be supported upon the risers 11 in positions atan angle to each other, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the seat-frame of a chair, of the rods 4, 4, arranged between the front and rear rails of the seat-frame and inclined upward toward the rear, the foot-rest frame 7 arranged to have its front portion rest upon the floor and of a size which will permit its occupying the space inclosed by the seat-frame, the hangers or supports 5 connected with the rear portion of the frame 7 and engaging with the rods 4 upon which they may slide, the risers 11 pivotally connected with the frame 7 and arranged to fold down upon the seat-frame or to occupy a raised position, the foot-rest proper hinged to the risers, and arranged to occupy a folded position resting upon the frame 7 or a position of use supported by the risers, and a catch arranged to support the forward portion of the frame 7 in an elevated position when the frame has been moved into the space inclosed by the seatframe, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. BOVEN.

Witnesses:

HARRY F. W ELTON, HOHER J. LUTHER. 

